As special piece to PHNX from Paige Otto NBA Draft Analyst & Social Media Manager for No Ceilings NBA.

The Phoenix Suns currently sit at 7th in the Western Conference with a record of 44-31 and have the hardest remaining schedule in the NBA. With a win over the Jokic-led Denver Nuggets and Zion-led Pelican, but a loss to the Wembanyama-less San Antonio Spurs and Shai-less Thunder this past week; it’s understandable if Suns fans are a little bit confused when it comes to what this Suns team is capable of.

With playoffs on the horizon, it’s never too early for NBA Draft talk — especially when the Suns have a first round pick for the first time since 2020! As of today, the Suns would have the No. 19 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft (worst available between the Wizards, Grizzlies and themselves). This draft cycle hasn’t been as ‘hyped’ as previous years, but there’s A TON of great prospects whom I believe can be that ‘missing’ piece here in the Valley and address the needs that have become quite apparent throughout this season.

Here’s a couple of prospects the Phoenix Suns should consider for the 2024 NBA Draft as well as a ‘What-If’ prospect if for some reason this particular player were to fall in the Suns’ lap:

Suns Point Guard Option: Devin Carter – Providence Friars – Junior – Guard

• 2023-24 Stats: 19.7 PPG, 8.7 REB, 3.6 AST in 35.3 MPG on 47.3/37.7/75 shooting splits
• 6’3” | 195 lb

Devin Carter is arguably the most well-rounded guard in the draft. Not only is he a tenacious defender with a ‘dog’ mentality, but his blend of playmaking, efficiency and shooting strides has made his name rise up draft boards tremendously this season. Despite being 6-foot-3, Carter plays BIG. This season, he averaged 8.7 rebounds per game….let that sink in. 8.7 rebounds per game is absurd for a ‘small guard’ when not even some categorized big men average 8+ rebounds. The part of Carter’s game that I love the most is the demeanor he plays with. It doesn’t matter how big, fast, strong, athletic you are — Devin Carter will go RIGHT through you. This type of demeanor and ‘dog’ mentality is something that quite frankly the Phoenix Suns need more of, and the Providence junior guard can certainly do that.

Carter also solves the point guard problem for the Suns and I do believe he could play right away for the franchise. You know what you’re getting with Carter and his game is all about making an impact wherever he can on the court that contributes to winning basketball.

Getting a solid two-way player out of your point guard is a very, very ideal — which is another plus in Carter’s book. He was arguably the best POA and guard defender in college basketball this year and had some ridiculous numbers when you look at the stat sheet. The 2024 Big East Player of the Year had 58 steals and 32 blocks this season and is the only college basketball player 6-foot-3 or shorter that is in the Top 15 of total defensive rebounds per game this season (253). On the other side of the ball, Carter accumulated 119 assists while boasting a 1.32 AST/TO ratio while having a USG% of 28.1 per Sports Reference. Kick-out passes, short roll / pocket passes, off-the-dribble passes, transition hit-aheads, entry passes, etc.; Carter has a huge variety of passes he make on a day-in, night-out basis. This is expected out of your point guard, but it will be more warranted and needed if Carter were to become the lead guard on the Phoenix Suns as he’ll have way more floor spacers to set up in the Valley.

Carter’s shooting leap from his freshman season at South Carolina to now as a junior breakout star at Providence, has been the factor that has propelled him into first-round conversations. The shooting strides Carter has made in the past couple of seasons takes a lot of time, effort, hard-work and even more dedication when it comes to improving your craft – which should show Suns fans what type of person / player Devin Carter is. Plus, it’s really encouraging just in general to see this type of improvement from your guard.

Carter shot 26.7% from three on 2.0 attempts per game his freshman year compared to now in his junior season where he’s shooting 37.7% from three on 2.5 makes per 6.8 attempts per game. What. A. Leap. Not only did he improve his three-point percentage by 10, but he also doubled his three-point volume which is not an easy thing to do while maintaining efficiency. Sometimes he can rush his shot which causes his body to lean forward more into a ‘catapult’ motion when he shoots, but if Carter can at least get to a point where NBA teams respect his shot it won’t matter what the mechanics look like. Carter shot 40.2% (51/127) on catch-and-shoot possessions this season and 45% (35/78) on guarded catch-and-shoot attempts — both of which fall into the 85th percentile and 95th percentile respectively per Synergy Sports.

The Miami Native is also a crafty and accurate finisher at the rim. Along with his improvement as a shooter, Carter’s finishing ability is another applicable skill that I believe will translate to the NBA. He shot 65.9% (116/176) at the rim and had 25 dunks on the season. He plays with tremendous pace in transition and in the half-court, can finish through contact, and is not afraid to go get a bucket in the clutch. Whether it’s off-screens, in the pick-and-roll, or in isolation — Carter looks super comfortable attacking the rim in these situations. Carter thrives here and this part of his game will be more

To sum it up, Devin Carter can make an early impact for the Phoenix Suns and could be a major steal for them with his defensive prowess and playmaking feel alone. His fit next to the ‘Big 3’ and Grayson Allen gets me extremely excited — as all the things Carter does well will only be amplified playing next to that kind of lethal offensive power.

Suns Forward Option: Tristan da Silva – Colorado Buffaloes – Senior – Forward

• 2023-24 Season Stats: 16.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.4 APG in 34 MPG on 49.3/39.5/83.5 shooting splits
• 6’8” | 200 lbs

I might’ve gone a little bit overboard with my pitch for Devin Carter to become a Sun (oh well), but I feel roughly the same way about Tristan da Silva and his potential fit here.

The Colorado Buffaloes senior 6’8” forward can bring a lot to the table and there’s nothing he does more than contribute to winning basketball. Da Silva has fantastic fundamentals, is a reliable spot-up shooter and is a consistent defensive threat. If you’re looking for the Suns to go after a flashy and electric player that pops off the tape — that’s not what you’re going to get with Devin Carter or Tristan da Silva. But, you will get highly impactful players that can help you win basketball games and can contribute to your team right away. Basically, you know what you’re going to get with them and this type of mentality is something I feel all contending teams should consider. Looking for more simplicity, all-around traits and great fundamentals in prospects is GOOD!

The NBA is indeed a wings league and if you find yourself betting against a wing that can defend, shoot, can make an impact off-ball and has plus-size — you might as well see yourself out. This season, da Silva ranked in the 87th percentile as a spot-up shooter with 1.139 points per shot (PPS), 87th percentile off the catch with 1.23 PPS (48.5% Unguarded) while shooting 39.5% from three on nearly 4.8 attempts per game. With as many offensive weapons the Suns have that attract so much defensive attention, da Silva would be a great addition as a spot-up guy that Devin Booker or Kevin Durant could rely on to knockdown open shots.

On the defensive end, Tristan da Silva is a mobile, lengthy, and skilled defender. He has great footwork (especially coming from the weak-side), can guard multiple positions, navigates screens well and understands how to make his opponents uncomfortable with his length and size. At 6’8”, da Silva also adds more pressure as a perimeter defender as he gives the Suns a little bit more of a boost given that he’s very capable and comfortable guarding away from the rim.

Now, the All-PAC 12 forward isn’t a ‘stats darling’ by any means and you won’t be as excited about him if you just look at his numbers. You HAVE to do the eye test and turn on the tape when evaluating da Silva and it will all start to make sense. If you watched Colorado’s March Madness games (go back and watch if you haven’t), you would have gotten a little bit of a sneak peak of what the German is capable of. With that being said, as a senior and current 22 year-old (23 on draft night) he had his best overall season of his college basketball career — where he posted a defensive rating of 102.6 and offensive rating of 117.8. ‘Stats Darling’ or not; that’s worth noting.

Colorado’s Tristan da Silva has all the tools to become a smart connecting forward in the NBA as well as a great complimentary piece for the Phoenix Suns.

Suns Center Options: Donovan Clingan – Connecticut Huskies – Sophomore – Center

• 2023-2024 Stats: 12.6 PPG, 7.4 REB, 2.4 BPG, 1.4 APG in 22.1 MPG on 64.1/33.3/57.8 shooting splits
• 7’2” | 280 lbs

Now, for whatever reason Donovan Clingan is still available for the Phoenix Suns in the late first-round; the other NBA teams that passed on him that had earlier picks have some issues. That’s why Clingan is my ‘What If’ prospect for the Suns, and if this fun scenario actually played out at least Suns fans have a decent breakdown of the UConn big man’s game.

A colossal rim protector, defensive anomaly, versatile passer and enticing scorer — Clingan holds the complete package of what you’re looking for in a center. From his freshman season to now, Clingan put extreme emphasis on not only getting stronger but more mobile. He gained 20+ pounds of muscle and is now at 280 pounds at 7’2” and he looks a lot more quicker and light-footed while on the blocks. The ‘hometown hero’ has been a dominant force not just in March but throughout the season as a whole, and is one of the key reasons UConn is narrowing in on back-to-back national championships.

One of the Phoenix Suns’ greatest weaknesses is their lack of depth at center. Between Jusuf Nurkic and Drew Eubanks that are ‘solely’ classified as a center (Bol Bol is a 4 to me and even though Kevin Durant plays the 5 sometimes in small-ball scenarios, he isn’t obviously a center), the Suns would thrive with another fluent big man on their roster. Now there will be times where Clingan has his ‘Welcome to the League’ moment when matched up against more athletic, faster and versatile bigs — but it’s important to look at the big picture of what Clingan’s value could be for the Suns.

Between being a powerhouse interior presence and crafty playmaker, Clingan has the potential to bring juice on both ends of the floor for the Suns. The Connecticut native is a dominant interior finisher as he scored 1.195 points per possession (PPP) overall this season which ranks in the 98th percentile, 1.118 PPP in the half-court (82nd percentile), 1.309 PPP as the pick-and-roll roll man (86th percentile), and 1.183 PPP (95th percentile) on post-ups. With being so well-rounded as a big man and having the ability to score off cuts, in the pick-and-roll, on the block and in different half-court sets allows a lot of space for your teammates (especially shooters and drivers) to operate. At the rim, Clingan shot 69.3% (140/202) with 44 of those 202 shot attempts being dunks. Yes, he dunks quite a bit Suns fans (YAY!) and has no problem at all doing so. Clingan isn’t like your modern big-man today that can stretch the floor at an efficient rate (yet), so don’t expect him to punish opponents on the perimeter (he only took 11 total jumpers this season). However; put the alarming questions away when it comes to his shooting potential and focus on all the other aspects of Clingan’s game that can help the Phoenix Suns win basketball games now and in the future.

Clingan has faced a good amount of double-teams this season and has capitalized on these situations given his dynamic passing feel and the fact that he has some great knockdown shooters on his squad (Alex Karaban, Cam Spencer) to help him out. On his playmaking jump alone, Clingan has a current assist rate of 14.1% compared to last year’s 7.4% and what’s even more impressive is how much his turnover rate decreased while his assist rate doubled. Clingan’s turnover rate currently sits at 8.1% compared to his freshman season turnover rate of 15.9%. This jump occurred due to the fact Clingan just got flat-out better at processing and understanding the game, /which resulted in better decision-making on his end. From kick-out passes, givebacks, tip passes, high-low looks, transition hit-aheads, and more; it was extremely fun to watch a young center play with so much fluidity and confidence as a passer.

At 7’2” and 280-pounds, Clingan is an intimidating sight at the rim for any opponent. Offenses shot just 34.7% overall this season when guarded by Clingan (0.84 points per shot) and mix that with Clingan’s block rate of 11.4% (76 total blocks this year), and it’s not that hard to see why the other team has trouble scoring at the rim against the Huskies.

Donovan Clingan would be a vital addition to this Phoenix Suns roster and is in my opinion the best center in the 2024 NBA Draft. If for some weird reason he is on the board at No. 19, the Suns would in fact hit a home run when it comes to solving their center depth issue.

Suns fans, how do we feel about these prospects and their fit in the Valley? Make sure to tag me on Twitter/X with your thoughts and questions.